There is no doubt that James Bond is an iconic figure in fictional espionage. He is considered the ultimate spy and throughout the years, James Bond movies have entertained countless fans to become one of the longest running and most successful franchises in movie history. One has to ask though, what makes this character stand the test of time?

The collection of James Bond movies spans more than forty years encompassing twenty plus movies. The character has not only survived the fictional perils of global espionage but even the death of the creator himself. With new writers continuing the franchise and actor reboots, the essence of James Bond has surprisingly remained the same: a jet-setting, womanizing super spy with the latest technology at his disposal. Undoubtedly, this lends to audience appeal.

James Bond was the fictional creation of Ian Flemming, a British journalist with a navy background. He based the British Secret Service agent partly on himself: his life-stlye and his taste in women. It cannot be argued that this formula has been met with resounding success.

The parade of beautiful women has been a consistent theme with all James Bond movies. With the casting of each new movie, questions arise on who the new Bond girl is going to be. James Bond is thought of as a playboy who has had his heart broken from previous relationships thus making his womanizing more palatable for the audience.

Another running theme in the books and movies is the technology at Bond's disposal. Whether it's flashy cars or spy gadgets, the MI6 agent is well supplied by the research and development division of the British Secret Service. Bond has gotten out of many jams thanks to his arsenal of electronic toys much to the disbelief and delight of his fans.

With the entourage of women, the cars and the spy gadgets available, there's no denying that James Bond handles all these perks with flair. It takes a special character to be likable and not make the audience green with envy. But despite Bond's savoir-faire and sophistication, he's still a character with which male fans can relate and women fans still find endearing.

It is hard to believe that when Ian Flemming first created the character, he intentionally named his spy with one of the dullest sounding names possible. James Bond is anything but dull with his jet-setting lifestyle. If the movie studios remain true to the formula with Bond girls and spy gadgets, we'll be enjoying many more movies in the future with the line echoing, "the name is Bond, James Bond".